


Watching Home Movies

by RiYuYami



Series: Pulling Strings [20]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 08:43:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13163364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiYuYami/pseuds/RiYuYami
Summary: Going back to find Wally’s missing keys led three of the studio’s employees to an interesting, and rather sad sight.Time to cheer up a sad demon, boys.





	Watching Home Movies

**Author's Note:**

> Here’s a slightly nicer story for the series, I’ve wanted to write it since watching the new cartoon. While being super adorable and beautifully animated, holy shit, it broke my heart to see Bendy so happy for once in a cartoon, only for life to punch him in the gut!
> 
> So, I wrote this to be nice to my favorite demon.
> 
> Also, it’s an excuse to write Norman again, along with Wally and a new character who I’ve wanted to write for a while.
> 
> On with the fic!

“I can’t believe ya lost 'em! Oh, wait, I can!”

“Shhhh…! What if Sammy’s still here?! Don’t be needin’ him hearin’ what I did!”

“That skinny chicken leg left the moment one of mah clocks struck eight! First one outta the building!"

Norman rolled his eyes as he walked down the hall with the two other men behind him, arguing. It was after closing hours at the studio, and for once, Joey didn’t bother to make anyone work overtime. They had actually gotten work done on time, so everyone was happy to go home at the correct hour. Except for Norman Polk, Wally Franks, and Shawn Flynn, all because the janitor lost his keys. Again.

“Alright, where’d ya last have ‘em?” Norman asked, turning to look at the shortest of the three.

Wally stopped, tapping his foot as he thought. “Hmm… I think… somewhere here on the first floor? I know I had ‘em when I left the music hall! So, they ain’t down there!”

“And ya think they’re here somewhere? Got a good idea?” Shawn asked, crossing his arms. He blinked, glancing around when he heard something faint. “Shhhh… do ya guys hear that?”

“Hear what?” The projectionist frowned, before cuffing his ears, trying to pick up whatever it was that Shawn could hear. He frowned, listening carefully. First, he heard the normal creaking and dripping of the pipes, before picking up the faint sound of music, and the all-too familiar sound of one of his projectors. “Someone musta left one of mah projectors on. Again.” He frowned, that would damage it!

Uhg, it had to be Joey again, he’d sit and watch things, then leave to go do whatever without bothering to properly stop the machine and store the reels!

Wally pointed down a hall. “It’s comin’ from there, probably from the viewin’ room. Maybe the keys are there!”

“Couldn’t hurt ta check.” The toy maker shrugged, strolling on ahead of his friends. The hallway was dark, but at the end was the faint light from the viewing room where one of the projectors that had a permanent location sat, just next to the flow switch. Once getting to the corner, the trio peeked around it, shocked to find someone in the room.

Sitting in a chair was Bendy, looking upset as he stared at the film that played on the screen. It was a Bendy cartoon, obviously, one that was from not too long ago. On the screen was a happy Bendy, carrying a little pumpkin pail, ready to get candy from Boris. Norman knew this cartoon, he knew all the cartoons, after all, he had to make sure the film reels worked right before they were to be shipped to theaters and such.

He watched Bendy instead, seeing him watching with sad, pie-cut eyes as his on-screen doppelganger was scared by Boris, and scurried off, leaving his candy for the wolf to take. The cartoon ended with a quick screen showing the credits, with Joey’s name big at the top of the screen, saying he wrote and directed it. Bendy blew a raspberry at the director’s name as he reached over to stop the projector. He paused, noticing his audience, and he gasped.

Bendy squealed when his chair tipped back in his moment of distraction and he toppled over. “Ah! Ya okay, Bendy?” Norman asked, quickly moving to help the little imp up.

“Uhh… yeah, I’m alright, thanks.” The pain he felt in the back of his head went away quickly, Toons were known for healing fast. “What are you guys doin’ here?”

Norman and Shawn both pointed at Wally, who glared at them both. “I lost mah keys. Again. Have you… ya know, seen ‘em?”

Bendy blinked, before pointing to the shelf where the reels were kept. On one of them was a set of keys, which Wally happily walked over to, grabbing them. “Thanks, li’l guy! Ya did me a big favor! But now I’ve got a question for ya, what are you doin’ here?”

“I live here.”

“You know what I meant.”

The demon frowned, rubbing at his arm before getting back in his chair, letting Norman work on getting the reel out of the projector. “I… was feelin’ kinda down. I saw the new cartoon Joey put out, an’…” He was talking about the short that was going to be playing for theaters for Christmas time. Snow Sillies, a cartoons where Bendy makes a snowman friend, only for him to die, and the short ends with him actually crying, something that didn’t happen in the old cartoons.

The trio of humans looked at Bendy, frowning softly at one another. It’s been a few years since Henry was kicked out of the studio a second time, Wally and Norman secretly telling some of the staff that cared about what happened to the animator, and his old cartoons weren’t played anymore. The show took a huge turn when Joey began to actually work on the episodes more than before, and often, they were based on giving Bendy a hard time.

A lot of them showed Bendy being happy at first, only to be upset in the end. Boris and Alice became much more prominent characters, often with episodes centered on them and Bendy, who is the main character of the series, being a secondary character.

These episodes are so much different from Henry’s episodes, where Bendy was having a fun time, playing pranks on his friends, or going on little adventures. He was a happy, dancing devil who was always still happy by the time the short ended.

It was almost as if Joey was spitting in Henry’s face by upsetting his ex-best friend’s favorite creation.

And knowing ol’ Drew, it probably was. He was a very, _very_ petty man.

Shawn sighed, walking up to Bendy, putting a hand on his head to rub it between the horns. “Ya know ya don’t have ta be watchin’ these Drew cartoons. If yer feelin’ upset, they’re not gonna be a cure for the blues.”

“… I can’t find any other ones in the room. An’ a lot of the doors are locked.”

Norman scoffed. “Dat’s cause Drew don’t like the idea of us watchin’ Henry’s shorts. I know where they are, wait here.”

Bendy blinked, watching the projectionist quickly running out of the room. “What’s he doin’?”

“I think he’s gonna find the cartoons for you ta watch.” The toy maker chuckled. “It’ll cheer ya right up, Bendy!”

“Do… you think so?”

Wally nodded, grinning as he fixed the hat on his head. “Oh yeah, better than watchin’ all this sad stuff Joey’s been spittin’ out for the world to see. Can ya believe that bullshit? Takes a cute, happy demon, and then makes him the butt of all the jokes! Sorry, kid, you deserve better.”

“Thanks guys.” Bendy smiled a little. “You don’t have to be here with me, I mean, it’s past closin’ time, I didn’t even know you were here.”

The janitor chuckled. “Nah, had ta find mah keys anyway. Also, Shawn was takin’ his sweet, sweet time to get his ass outta his work space!”

“Unlike you, I don’t rush mah duties.”

“Says the guy who painted those crooked smiles.” Wally ducked just in time to avoid the punch that was aimed for his head.

“Settle down, boys.” Norman frowned as he walked back in, carrying a few metal cases. “I was able to grab some of dem ol’ Ross cartoons, I picked out a few personal favorites.”

“Is one of them Hell in a Handbasket?” Shawn asked.

Norman nodded, approaching the projector to get it started up. Bendy blinked and smiled a bit. “You didn’t have ta do this, Mr. Polk.”

“I didn’t have ta, but I still did.” Norman smiled a little as he got things set up. “Don’t like seein’ anyone upset, ‘specially when I know it’s Joey’s fault. So ya know what’s I’m gonna do? I’m gonna play some of your happier shorts, the ones Henry worked on!”

Bendy perked up, grinning. “That’s awfully sweet of ya, Mr. Polk, thanks!”

“An’ ya know what? I’ll join in! Always fun to watch stuff with friends.” Shawn grinned as he took a seat in one of the chairs.

“Me too! I’ve got nothin’ goin’ on tonight anyway.” Wally plopped himself down. “Start ‘er up, Norm!”

“That’s what I’m doin’, Wally.” Norman snorted as he got the reel running, moving to sit down.

Bendy looked at the three employees as they sat back to watch the short and he couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face. It’s been a while since a human’s really given him the time of day lately, especially with how busy everyone’s been with getting new shorts done. Maybe his little private movie nights could be spent with some of these guys, they were always so nice to him anyway, unlike some of the others.

Heh, he felt like he could enjoy this, especially if these guys became his friends.

END

**Author's Note:**

> I feel bad cause Bendy’s friendship with Norman is what got the poor man turned into a monster. I wonder what happened to Shawn and Wally, if we find out in chapter four, I’ll write one-shots for those. I still have to write one of Bendy meeting the Projectionist.
> 
> This takes place before Bendy’s ‘accident’ with the staircase, so the machine is still on. He’s just bummed out cause a lot of cartoons have him getting the short end of the stick, even though he’s the main character. I headcanon that Bendy’s old cartoons done by Henry all have him basically winning in the end, but… Joey’s a bitter fool.
> 
> Also, I dunno where Boris and Alice are, they're probably doing their own thing right now.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to comment and kudos!


End file.
